The Florida Gators head into the class of 2017 still searching for linebackers to help fill a void on the depth chart after signing three in the class of 2016.
On Tuesday defensive coordinator Geoff Collins visited one of the top Gators top linebacker targets when he visited K.J. Britt (6-1, 223, Oxford, AL High) at his school.
“Coach Collins came by school on Tuesday during the day,” Britt said. “I was taking a test, but he talked to my coaches. They told me that he had stopped by to see me and was going to come back later in the spring.”
Britt didn’t get to speak to Florida on Tuesday but he admits that he talks to Florida a lot, including daily messages from head coach Jim McElwain.
“I talk to Florida about every day, one of the coaches at least every day,” he said of his talks with Florida. “Coach Mac hits me up pretty much every morning and ‘says good morning and have a good day’, that’s big coming from the head coach. I also talk to Coach Collins and Coach Shannon a lot too but Coach Mac is every day.
McElwain doesn’t mince words when he talks to Britt about the Gators needing him in the Class of 2017.
“Coach Mac says every day that I’m going to be a Gator,” Britt said of McElwain’s message. “He tells me that I’m their number one target and that they want me bad. We have regular conversations with each other and he isn’t pressuring me at all. He just told me that whenever I’m ready to commit that he’s down with it.”
Linebackers coach Randy Shannon also talks to Britt a lot, and he sends a message about where the linebacker would fit into the Gators defense.
“Coach Shannon tells me all the time that he wants me to make an impact on their defense,” he said of Shannon’s message. “He tells me that he needs me and that I can make a huge impact by coming there. He told me that he sees me as a middle linebacker player for them.”
Britt visited Gainesville this spring and he admits that he and his family liked the trip enough to return to Florida for another visit.
“I like it down there, my whole family likes it down there and we enjoyed our visit there,” Britt said. “We got a good vibe from them down there and there is no sense of not talking to them since they’re a team that I could possible play for. I’m looking forward to getting back down there for another visit. It will be this summer.”
Right now Britt is in the process of narrowing things down and he says he has five schools still in contention for his signature.
“I’m going to go with my decision in August,” he said. “Auburn is still my leader but Florida, Georgia, Clemson and South Carolina are right there behind them right now.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Britt is one of the top linebackers in the country and Auburn is quickly filling up with linebackers, which could benefit the Gators and Georgia. The key for Florida is getting him and his family back down this summer for a visit.